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NFL Player Takes Boy Who Lost Family in Suicide Drowning Under His Wing

Having experienced one of the most traumatizing events imaginable, it seems La'Shaun Armstrong's life could have been put on a bleak course on April 12, the day his mother drove her van into the Hudson, killing herself and La'Shaun's siblings, two boys aged five and two and an 11-month-old baby girl. But Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, along with some other NFL players, are making sure that doesn’t happen.

Having experienced one of the most traumatizing events imaginable, it seems La'Shaun Armstrong's life could have been put on a bleak course on April 12, the day his mother drove her van into the Hudson, killing herself and La'Shaun's siblings, two boys aged five and two and an 11-month-old baby girl. But Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, along with some other NFL players, are making sure that doesn’t happen.

They've donated thousands of dollars to help, which is important because that money will allow La'Shaun get the college education, therapy, tutoring, and attention he needs. But Lewis isn't just signing a check. He seems deeply affected by La'Shaun and his story, saying of the boy, "he grabbed me from afar. The first words out of my mouth were, 'I need him.'" Lewis is giving La'Shaun love and the kind of guidance that is priceless. La'Shaun has said Lewis is like a brother to him.

That this little boy can have that—a college education, the opportunity to do whatever he wants, and be loved and supported, is unbelievable. And while some might say that NFL players get paid too much or get caught up in Lewis' dubious past, right now none of that matters. To La'Shaun Armstrong, none of that matters. Here's really, really hoping Lewis can make a difference, and that La'Shaun can come out of this thing victorious over a tragedy that could have devastated his life entirely.